


sweet haven's paradox

by featherpen_princess



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Library, Drama, Drama & Romance, M/M, Romance, Seokmin and Soonyoung are only mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-08-07 06:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7703671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/featherpen_princess/pseuds/featherpen_princess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wonwoo is intrigued. His eyes following the lean form of a young man whom he did not understand; an enigma. Said young man would always wander around Wonwoo’s haven—the library. Always sauntering with a sad smile etched on his handsome face. Touching each spine of the books; feeling its texture with his fingertips but never withdrawing a single piece of an alternate universe. He only feels. Could only feel. Wonwoo is intrigued. Will he ever know?</p>
            </blockquote>





	sweet haven's paradox

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posting this from AFF || Please don't forget to leave a comment and a kudos if you liked this story ♥
> 
> ps. the summary sucks when the format is like that. You'll understand it more when you check i on AFF. :(

_ _

 

* * *

 

 _“What's meant to be will always find a way.”_  
― Trisha Yearwood

 

* * *

 

His eyes followed the figure of a young man whom he always sees in his sweet haven—the library. Wonwoo is not the type of person who likes snooping on anyone’s business, heck, his friends even tell him that he can be apathetic at times especially when he’s too engrossed in reading his book, as if he’s in his own little world. Wonwoo begs to differ since ‘little’ wouldn’t even be a good way to describe what he feels when he’s reading; he can say that he’s in an entire _different_ universe when he does read, but he won’t tell them since they wouldn’t understand. They never understood. And he doesn’t understand how can his friends _not_ like reading books? Well, he’s friends with them since he knew them since high school and sometimes, they help him come out of his shell (which they often state as _‘having fun’_ ), but when it comes to his favorite hobby, they seem to have complete different views. He likes them nonetheless.

The young man who seem to capture the raven-haired’s attention whenever he comes only wanders around the library for an entire afternoon when the class have already ended. Wonwoo is curious. No, he is _intrigued._ He wouldn’t be if it weren’t for that sad, longing look on his face whenever he saunters around.

Wonwoo wouldn’t care especially if he’s reading, but he can’t help but get distracted by him. He’s not being loud per se, quite the contrary, he’s actually quiet; he’s far too gentle to even bother anyone. It’s just Wonwoo who gets distracted by him. Wonwoo thinks that he’s too hyperaware when it comes to this man.

_Not because of his looks, definitely not!_

He glanced at him from the top of his book. Taking in how nice his hair color suits him, seeing those luscious lips which is set in a sad smile (Wonwoo wonders what it looks like to see him genuinely smile with happiness), the beautiful bridge of his nose, and oh those beautiful eyes which seem to sparkle without even trying. He is… beautiful.

_Yes, definitely not because of his looks._

He surreptitiously watched, trying to decipher this enigmatic man.

Will he ever get the chance to do so, though?

 

* * *

 

The following day, same time and same place, Wonwoo patiently waited for the man to appear again. He knows he would. He _will._

Craning his neck every fifteen seconds to look at the entrance of the library behind him in order not to miss him; it’s hard to miss him with that _pink_ hair of course.

Not before long, the man stepped into the library. Wonwoo jerked his head back towards his book, pretending to read but is actually listening to his steady footsteps. The man passed beside his table and he caught a waft of his scent—he’s wearing a cologne which is not too strong in Wonwoo’s opinion, and he thought that it’s mixed with the scent of his soap as well. It was subtle, subtle as him. Wonwoo liked it.

He looked at him from the top of his book again. He’s doing what he usually does again. He would often amble while touching the spine of the books, feeling each of its texture with his fingertips (Wonwoo wondered if they were either cold or warm). He always does it, but he never once withdrew a book from the shelf. This is the reason why he’s intrigued.

_Why would somebody bother to go to the library if they wouldn’t even read a single piece from it?_

Wonwoo wants to know. Will he ever know?

 

* * *

 

Going back to his room in the boys’ dormitory, he received a notice from the dorm manager that somebody would move in to his room. Wonwoo sighed heavily because he’d always hoped that nobody would longer move in to his room, there were a lot of rooms that are still available but he can’t actually complain since it wasn’t reserved for his own use only. He knew that somebody would move in with him eventually but he didn’t expect it to happen this soon. He only moved to the university’s dorm this year since he’s already on his 3rd year in college. He had to admit that things are starting to become hectic for him, and he doesn’t want to experience the inconvenience of traveling from home to university and vice versa anymore, it was fine during his 1st and 2nd year, but it’s different now. He sighed again, moving towards his bed to plop down. He should kiss his solitude goodbye because tomorrow morning, he has to deal with his soon-to-be roommate.

Wonwoo wished for that person to be as quiet as him, because he doesn’t know what he might do if that person ends up to be the likes of Soonyoung or Seokmin. He needs his peace and quiet definitely. He only wants to read. Wonwoo drifted off to dreamland thinking of these things. He was again met by the man from the library in his dreams. Wonwoo can’t remember how many times he’d seen him in his dreams already, but what he knows is that he started appearing ever since he first saw him in his haven.

 

* * *

 

Wonwoo woke up when he heard someone knocking at his door, he immediately looked at his window and found that it’s already morning because the light is seeping through the window blinds. Wonwoo sat up groggily before yawning, he counted for ten seconds in order to collect himself. He can still hear the insistent knocks from his door,

Wonwoo’s sure that the one who’s knocking outside has to be the dorm manager, he can tell because of the heavy knocking with that particular beat he usually hears whenever he needs to say something. Well, it’s also a dead giveaway when he heard him say “Mr. Jeon, please open _this_ door right now because your new roommate is already here.” And he swore he heard him mutter to someone “I’m sorry if you’ve been waiting for fifteen minutes already, he’s a sleepy-head and he’s known as a sloth, that’s why I wish you luck.”

Wonwoo stretched his limbs before standing up, moving towards the door to open it. He heard his new roommate say “it’s fine” to the dorm manager, and Wonwoo concluded that this guy wouldn’t be that bad at all because he’s soft-spoken and very polite. He thanked the heavens for that. Unlocking the door, he was met by their dorm manager with a frown on his face “about time you open this door. It’s really embarrassing for you to make Mr. Hong here wait.”

Wonwoo muttered an apology to their dorm manager before facing his new roommate, but when his eyes landed on the latter’s face, he could’ve said that time stood still. Wonwoo froze on his spot, mouth partly open for his words were caught in his tongue. He blinked several times in order to confirm that he’s _not_ dreaming.

Seeing Wonwoo’s state of confoundment, the man extended his hand to introduce himself.

“I’m Joshua Hong, but you can call me Jisoo. Nice to meet you Mr. Jeon…?”

At this, Wonwoo finally found his ability to speak again. Taking Jisoo’s proffered hand

“Wonwoo. Jeon Wonwoo. Nice to meet you too.”

Jisoo smiled warmly, but it still didn’t reach his eyes. Nonetheless, it was still a sight to behold.

Wonwoo smiled back.

 

* * *

 

“So, what do you do?” Wonwoo asked nonchalantly

Jisoo looked up from his boxes, “ummm… I’m a Music Major. You?” He replied quietly, immediately looking down at his boxes again. He’s arranging his stuff in their shared room. Jisoo took the left side of their room while Wonwoo stayed on his original side.

“I am a Literature Major.” He stated

When Jisoo heard that, his movements halted for a moment but continued immediately, acting coolly as if nothing went wrong. But Wonwoo noticed it, and he’s more intrigued now. Finally, _“the chance already presented itself”_   Wonwoo thought.

 

* * *

 

Wonwoo found out that Jisoo is really good at playing the guitar, Wonwoo knows how to play the guitar as well but he can say that his skill level matches only those of the beginners. Wonwoo really wants to get to know Jisoo well because let’s just say, he has a _crush on him._ If the dreams and secret glances he threw at him weren’t enough proof of it, then he doesn’t know what is. And he wants to get to the bottom of everything, where _everything_ started. He wants to ask if Jisoo likes to read because he’s sure that if he said yes, Wonwoo will not hesitate to ask him out right then and there. Reading is Wonwoo’s life and he wants another person to share the same interest as him. But the thing is, he never saw Jisoo reading any book, what he only does is listen to music and watch his anime dubbed in English.

And Wonwoo’s a bit afraid to hear him say “ _no.”_  

He is _frightened._

But the question still lingers, _“why does he visit the library frequently?”_

Something’s not right. Something’s _missing._

 

* * *

 

When Jisoo started living with him, Wonwoo rarely comes to the library anymore to read. He opts to go back to their shared room and read there instead. But he noticed that Jisoo comes back to their room around 6:30pm, which means that after 5 o’clock pm, he still frequents the library. (Where else could he be, of course?)

Wonwoo decided to go back to the library the next day and he watched Jisoo do his daily routine. But what’s different today is that he came up to him and offered to walk with him back to their room. Jisoo looked taken aback when Wonwoo approached him but he schooled his features back to his normal calm and collected façade. Jisoo gave him a small smile and nodded.

Wonwoo stepped back and turned around, Jisoo following suit.

Tonight, he would ask.

 

* * *

 

“Jisoo…”

“Yes?” Jisoo looked up, stopping his fingers in strumming his guitar

“I want to ask you something.”

Jisoo visibly gulped at this, if Wonwoo’s going to ask about what he saw in the library today, he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to tell the truth just yet.

“What is it?”

“Do you like to read books?” Wonwoo straightforwardly asked in that deep tone of his

“Why do you want to know?” Jisoo can’t help but ask

“Because you always go to the library.” Wonwoo stated matter-of-factly

Jisoo’s eyes widened at this and Wonwoo thought that maybe it was a revelation for him.

“How did you know?” his voice croaked a little

“I always see you.” And Wonwoo doesn’t know if he meant something more to what he just said

“Oh…” was the only thing Jisoo could reply

“So, is that a yes or a no?” Wonwoo pressed coolly

Jisoo looked at Wonwoo’s face, he looked so calm and he can tell that Wonwoo doesn’t judge people easily. Maybe he can tell him the truth.

“Yes…” Jisoo started

Wonwoo sat on the edge of his bed, anticipating for what’s to come next.

“I _used_ to like reading books.” Jisoo ended lamely; he can feel the growing lump in his throat. He shouldn’t cry. He’s sure he doesn’t have enough tears to shed anymore for all those years he cried.

“Used?” Wonwoo noticed the usage of past tense “What do you mean?” Wonwoo continued, feeling confused because he can tell that Jisoo never wanted it to stop

“Because… I can’t.” Jisoo whispered, as if saying out loud would let the whole world know; as if saying it out loud would increase the pain and the realization that it is indeed _true,_ up to this day _._

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.” Wonwoo forlornly said

“It’s alright… because I _don’t want to (understand)_ either.”

Wonwoo stood up to move closer to Jisoo. He hugged him.

And they fell asleep like that, Wonwoo keeping Jisoo warm in his arms, protecting him from his world filled with coldness.

 _“I will save you.”_ Wonwoo whispered in their shared dream

_“Please do.”_

 

* * *

 

It’s been three days and they still haven’t spoken about how they woke up the next morning when Wonwoo hugged him. They felt so awkward that morning, and Wonwoo kept on apologizing to Jisoo while Jisoo stayed silent, looking down in order to hide his blush.

And it’s driving Wonwoo mad. He wants to address the elephant in the room but he can’t find the courage to do so, besides, he doesn’t want to make Jisoo uncomfortable. Maybe it was only that time when he felt the urge to tell him his secret, maybe Jisoo didn’t mean to actually tell him but was only carried away by the moment and his emotions.

Jisoo was sitting on his desk, back turned to Wonwoo while the latter kept on looking at him. Jisoo could feel his stare and he knows that they have to talk about **it** soon. He sighed before turning around to meet his roommate’s eyes.

“Wonwoo.”

“Jisoo.”

Jisoo stood up from his seat to sit beside Wonwoo on his bed, putting enough distance between them.

Silence fell for a minute and Jisoo heaved a sigh before speaking up again.

“I know you’re still wondering about my condition, and I think you deserve an explanation since I haven’t clarified what’s actually _wrong_ with me yet.”

Wonwoo only nodded, gesturing for him to continue

“I have _alexia.”_ Jisoo stated, the tension in the room suddenly rose, and Wonwoo had a hard time breathing again, it was suffocating.

“Don’t feel bad or sorry for me, okay?” Jisoo grimly smiled

“But, how?” Wonwoo can’t help but ask

“I was caught in a car accident when I was 12 years-old. Fortunately, I survived… but this is the price that I have to pay.” He can hear the pain in Jisoo’s voice, he can feel how much pain it’s causing him.

_For something to be taken away that cruelly from someone, especially if it’s something that you most treasure._

“I lost the ability to read. And it hurts. A lot.” At this point, he knew that Jisoo’s trying to hold back his tears

“All I can do now is to reminisce how I used to love reading—how much I enjoyed reading the words and how it feels to be taken away in another universe. It was really nice. It was amazing. It was one of the best parts of my life.”

And Wonwoo couldn’t take it. His heart is aching for Jisoo, he wants to ease away the pain for him and an idea struck in his mind.

“What’s your favorite book?”

Jisoo looked up, quite confused with the sudden question

“Umm… The Little Prince™”

Wonwoo nodded, then he stood up and left the room. 

Jisoo wasn’t able to utter a word because he was too dumbfounded, Wonwoo left without saying a single word. All he can do is look at his retreating back as he shut the door close.

Footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway.

 

* * *

 

Wonwoo came back after an hour, Jisoo noted that nothing changed with his appearance, it’s just that he’s holding a small paper bag in his right hand. Jisoo stayed quiet and waited for Wonwoo to explain his earlier actions.

“I’m back.” Wonwoo lamely said, knowing that his abrupt departure earlier would leave a lot of questions in Jisoo’s mind.

“Where did you go?” Jisoo inquired

“Bookstore.”

“Oh.”

Wonwoo pulled out the book he bought from the paper bag, it was _The Little Prince_ _™._

Jisoo’s eyes widened and he stared at Wonwoo’s stoic features.

“I only bought it because I left my own copy at home, and I suddenly wanted to read it again after you mentioned it.” Wonwoo reasoned

Jisoo had this knowing look on his face as he smiled at Wonwoo (who’s trying to hide his blushing cheeks)

_“Thank you.”_

 

* * *

 

Wonwoo and Jisoo became closer after the revelation, and eventually, Wonwoo confessed to Jisoo how much he likes him. Jisoo felt the same because he can feel how genuine Wonwoo’s feelings were. Wonwoo told Jisoo that he used to watch him roam around the library before, which surprised Jisoo because he thought nobody was paying attention to him. This made Wonwoo blush a lot since he just confessed to Jisoo his embarrassing history, hugging him tightly from the back while hiding his face on the crook of Jisoo’s neck. Jisoo patting his hair as he tells him that “it’s alright” and “it’s not creepy… it’s actually kinda cute.”

Earning a deep groan from Wonwoo as the latter buries himself deeper on Jisoo’s neck, secretly enjoying the scent that he loves.

 

* * *

 

Wonwoo and Jisoo’s way of spending time together is reading. Yes— _reading!_ Well, we can say that Wonwoo does all the reading while Jisoo listens to Wonwoo’s deep baritone voice.

Wonwoo usually leans on his bed’s headboard, while Jisoo’s back is propped against Wonwoo’s chest. The elder sitting in between the younger’s legs while his head is tucked under Wonwoo’s chin; Wonwoo wrapping his left arm around Jisoo’s torso as he uses his right hand to hold the book in front of them. Jisoo likes this position because he felt safe; he can feel Wonwoo’s warmth seeping through the layers of their clothes. He can also feel the vibration of the latter’s voice as he reads the paragraphs. He likes it because he can also feel Wonwoo’s heartbeats which is in sync with his own.  

Jisoo thought that he’d never be able to enjoy reading again, because he constantly depends on audio books and recorded lectures through his phone. But now, wrapped in an embrace filled with love and warmth, he can say that he’s now content. He can now fully accept the burden that he’s been carrying for years. Learning how to love it because somebody else learned to love him first for it. And maybe, his condition wasn’t a punishment after all, it’s actually a blessing in disguise. He prayed to God and thanked Him, Jisoo knew that he shouldn’t have doubted God with His plans, because everything’s meant to happen for _a reason_.

 

* * *

 

Wonwoo couldn’t be any happier, now that the person who used to intrigue him is already in his life. He knew that he’s the constant that he’s been looking for; somebody who _could_ understand him. Who would’ve known that from a simple curiosity, love would bloom? Wonwoo chuckled at the idea, he thought it only happens in books, but he was proven wrong since it actually happened to him. Wonwoo thanked God because He answered his questions. He was able to decipher the enigmatic man that he used to think. Jisoo wasn’t that complicated after all, or maybe, he used to be complicated. But as time passes by and his love grew further for the said man, maybe it was actually him who grew and understood his every quirk. Wonwoo accepted Jisoo as who he is, as a matter of fact, he can even say that he started loving him because of it. If not for Jisoo’s peculiarity back then, he wouldn’t have had noticed him. And he wouldn’t be in this position.

Looking at Jisoo’s smiling face which is filled with genuine happiness (because of _him),_ Wonwoo swore that he couldn’t be any happier.

Wonwoo decided that fate has its own way of bringing two souls together. Taking its time to make things perfect. Wonwoo told himself that everything’s perfect now that Jisoo’s beside him.

 

* * *

 

Everything started when all he asked for was a chance to unravel the mystery around the man he used to watch in the library. And then he asked if he’ll ever find out why the man never pulled a book from its shelf. And then fate decided to bring the said man on his doorstep. Then the rest was up to him on how he would act, and he thought, he did all the right things.

 

* * *

**\- F I N -**

**Author's Note:**

> **Alexia: When someone who previously could read loses their ability. (Wikipedia, 2016)
> 
> A/N: Finally~ I was able to finish this! I'm sorry if there are inconsistencies since I had to stop in some parts because I had to go to church. I kinda lose my momentum too when somebody interrupts me (in a bad way). But yeah, glad that this one is finished and I can finally move on to my other drafts. I feel so productive since this one has 3.4k+ words! ♥ Woots. Please don't forget to leave an upvote and a comment. I really wanna know what you think! :) And I'm sorry if there are mistakes since I wasn't able to read it again. Please tell me if there are annoying errors!
> 
> Oh! By the way, I already told you that I am not an expert when it comes to this disorder, I looked up dyslexia actually but I think alexia is more fitting for this story. I don't mean to offend people with this disorder (if you feel like I did).
> 
> ** I am not a native English speaker, if ever you see something wrong, please tell me so that I could fix it.
> 
> ** Wonwoo and Joshua are their own person, I cannot claim them as my own and this story is purely fictional and came from the author's imaginative brain and shipper heart.
> 
> ** no profit was gained from this work; this is purely free-of-charge and made from a fangirl's love.


End file.
